Electric switch.



CLARENCE I). FLATT,

Application tiled August 2, 1916.

To all whom t may concern;

Be it known that a citizen of the llnited States of America, residing at Bridgeport.. Fairfield county,

Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Electric Switch, ot which the following is a specication.

lily invention relates to electric switches, and among my chief objects are simplicity of Construction, durability effectiveness of operation. lily improved switch while unlimited in its field oi usefulness, is of parp ticular value when employed as an entrance switch, such as used tor house lighting service. In its preferred form. shown and described herein, it is so arranged as to be protected by box and cover and in order to simplify the construction and eliminate unnecessary parts, l utia-Ze the box coveras' the switch handle. The switch is of the socalled blade type, but instead of being slow acting, l have so constructed the parts. that the separation of the blade from its Contact or contacts is so quickly eiected as to prevent arcing,

n the drawings:

Figure l is a Jiront view of a switch ter Ininal box constructed to embodymy improved switch. the cover of 'the box and the switch element carried thereby being fully lopened.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly broken away and in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is al section on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. l, showing the cover closed and the switch on, sition. i

Fig. l is cross section on the plane of the line d el, Fig. l.

In thatl forni of my invention shown in Figs. l to 4, 9 is a box or receptacle preferably made of sheet steel within which is mounted a suitable insulating base block l which may or may not carry the usual fuse plugs ll-lQ. 14-15-16-17 are contact or in the circuit closing po- -terminals designed to be engaged by the switch blades 8-l9`20 and 21, respectively. These switch blades are mounted upon a suitable block or insulating head Q2, and the' insulating head is yieldingly connected to the cover 9.3 of the receptacle by means of suitable springs, such as indicated at 524-24. Q is the lost motion stop' which has a head 26 at its free end and is provided With a swivel connection 27 with the cover Specification of Letters Patent.

I .23 at its other end. l, CLARENCE l). PLATT,

OF BRIIBGEET, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC sauren.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

seran No. 112,210. i

The insulating block 22 has a counterbore extending through the saine as indicated in. section, Fig. 9, in which the lost motion stop stands. 2S is a buffer, for example. a rubber washer. The normal tendency ot the springs Qll is to hold the block 22 and the switch blades carried thereby in the position shown in Figs. l and 2, that' is to say, with the insulating block'QQ bearing againstV the butler 28.* Utilizing the hinge cover 23 of the receptacle as a handle or lever, the same may be swung down so as to close the box and simultaneously cause the switcn blade to electrically Connect with the switch terminals ll to 17. At such a'time the parts wili stand in the position indicated in Fig. 3. lllhen it' is desired to open the circuit, the box cover Q3 is swung open, and theA first partial movement thereof, simply puts the springs 2424 under tension. Continued movement of the box cover will cause the head 2G of the lost motion stopto engage in the bottom of the counter-bore in the insulating block 3' whereby the further positively withdraw the switch blades from their respective terminals or contacts. 'As soon as the, friction is light enough the springs 29h-2l will operate to complete the circuit breaking act by quickly pulling the switch blades outof Contactwith their respective terminals, so as to avoid arcing. It will be noted that the switch is of the dou-ble break type.

A One ofthe manyadvantages in the combination oit elements illustrated in Figs. 1 to i, resides in the fact that the fuses cannot be tampered with, renewed or removed while the switch is on, since the switch handle, namely the box cover, must be open before access can be had to the fuses. Again, by said arrangement, all of the various parts of an entrance switch Yfor house lighting service may be arranged in exceedingly compact and safe form.

it will be understood that various changes may be made in the various parts and combination of parts herein disclosed wit-hout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

ifhat I claim is:

l. In a switch of the character set forth, a box and a movable cover therefor, an insulating'base Within the box, an insulating base at the underside of the cover, coperating switch contacts on the respective bases,

One of said insulating bases being movable relative to the part by which it is carried, a spring connection between said insulating base and the part by which it is carried to thereby enable the cover to have a limited movement Without separating the contacts and a positive lost-motion connection between said movable base member and the part by which it is Carried, limiting the eX- tent of such free movement of said insulating base member on the part by which it is carried and insuring a snapping apart of the switch contacts when the @over is opened.

2. An inclosed switch construction eornprising a box having a' movable cover, relatively stationary switch contacts mounted in Mamani the box, an insulating base, a relatively iiat spring secure to the under side of the cover and to said base to thereby yieldingly conijne said insulating base to the under side o the cover, a headed stud projecting from. the under side of the Cover, said insulating base having a passage for said shoulder engageable by said bead to limit the movement of the insulating base away from the cover and contacts on said yieldingly supported but positively stopped insulating base for engagement with the contacts in the box and insulated from the cover by said insulating base. d

CLARENCE D. FLATT.

stud and a stop 

